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Teeth care?

  • Thread starter Thread starter DM270921
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DM270921

Hi, my guinea pigs seem to always have very green top teeth. The bottom teeth are nice and white, but the top ones always have veggies or grass stuck in them. Is there anything I should do to clean them or is this fine? I just worry about possible decay if the veg stays there constantly? I'm probably worrying over nothing but it's always good to check :)
Thanks x
 
gerbilord said:
Hi, my guinea pigs seem to always have very green top teeth. The bottom teeth are nice and white, but the top ones always have veggies or grass stuck in them. Is there anything I should do to clean them or is this fine? I just worry about possible decay if the veg stays there constantly? I'm probably worrying over nothing but it's always good to check :)
Thanks x
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Rodents always have some gunk in their mouth. But they also have nonstop growing teeth. As long as molars and premolars are ground down evenly by an unlimited supply of hay and fresh dog pee free grass, you shouldn't get any problems. Grass and hay are high in very abrasive silica. Because of this, guinea pigs and their larger cousins, the capybaras, have the fastest growing teeth of all rodents that are utterly in tune with their main source of feed, so dental decay is not a worry.

The 4 incisors in the front work against each other and keep each other at the perfect length; they are there for picking up and cutting the food. As long as they have a nice and even edge, you can usually be pretty sure that there are no problems at the back. Slanted or jagged incisors can point to a dental issue and uneven chewing. Inward pointing incisors are a sign that the teeth at the back have grown spurs and are overgrown. Please see a vet.
PS: Be aware that the lower incisors always look too long to piggy newbies or vets not experienced with guinea pigs.

If an incisor breaks, see a vet if is loose and wobbly in the gum or if there is bleeding from the mouth/gum. The incisors are about 4 cm long and run way back along the upper and lower jaw to their roots just in front of the premolars. In most cases they will grown back within 1-2 weeks until the damage is more extensive. With two broken incisors, your piggy may need a few days of help with the picking up/cutting and feeding.


I hope that this helps you?
 
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